Common Ground
by RaucousLaughter
Summary: Ron and Hermione visit Lavender in the hospital wing. To Hermione's comfort, she finds they may have more in common than she thought.


We crept to the hospital wing, nerves roiling around in my stomach. Ron pulled the doors the doors open as quietly as possible so as not to wake anyone who might be sleeping, but the aged hinges creaked, despite his care. It was strange being back within the Hogwarts walls so soon after the battle, after a few restful days at the Burrow.

"Hi Hermione," a wounded second-year girl said, sitting up in bed. I waved and smiled; though I recognized her face, I couldn't remember the poor girl's name.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking around at the night table to see if there was a card that might have revealed what she was called.

"Much better, thank you."

"I'm sorry Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley but Josephine here needs to rest," Madame Pomfrey said swooping in with an armful of flasks and spoons. Ron and I waved goodbye and moved on, searching the beds for the person I was looking for. Would we recognize her with the bandages? I shuddered to think of the care she needed. Those with more stable injuries had been moved to St. Mungos to continue their treatment, but some, like Lavender, who we now looked for, had needed to stay at Hogwarts. Moving them would have caused further damage and nobody wanted to risk that. Amidst the beginnings of rebuilding the walls, Madame Pomfrey had worked tirelessly with her staff to continue healing those that required it. Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott had joined Professor Sprout in searching for plants with healing powers. Much of the greenhouse had been destroyed, but they went about Diagon Alley and Apparated to distant lands to return with what was needed. Professor Slughorn brewed potions and George Weasley had helped him. He'd needed something to do to keep busy, as we all did and after all the experience he had with brewing the solutions for Nosebleed Nougats he knew a thing or two about potions.

"There," said Ron nodding towards a bed in the far corner. Parvati Patil sat in a chair beside her friend, who despite the bandages on her face and arms, was instantly recognizable as Lavender Brown. I didn't want to think of what wounds lay under her blanket. When I'd sent the spell at Greyback to get him away from her, I'd already seen more than I cared to, blood running from her side, her legs...I'd been sick with worry that It was too little too late. As we approached, Parvati said nothing. She merely hugged us as though we were one person and I could tell she struggled to keep tears out of her eyes for Lavender's sake.

"I'll come back later, okay? I'm going to St. Mungo's to see Padma."

Padma Patil had been injured? Ron looked at the floor at the sound of her name. They had hardly been closet to her, but Ron had attended to Yule Ball with her (however disastrous that had been), and she had been part of the D.A. It was clearer than ever just how far removed we had been from everything, even though we'd been right in the middle of it. As I glanced around the room, every bed full, I thought of those who had already moved onto St. Mungo's, those who'd been discharged, and those who hadn't been lucky enough to survive. The full weight of the battle pressed down on me and my sadness deepened.

For the past few days, I'd allowed myself to truly rest after the longest year of my life. I'd helped the Weasleys with whatever they'd needed, did what I could to help them heal from the pain of Fred's death. It would take much longer than that to heal from such a sting and the pain would never truly be gone, but with time...with time the loss would become tolerable. I'd expected Mrs. Weasley to need help with the cooking and cleaning, but she had wanted to remain busy. She'd insisted that we were the ones, Harry, Ron, and I who deserved to relax. Several good night's sleep had helped, though nightmares threatened me. There had been nothing to wake up for, nothing to run from, and that had been enough.

"Ron, Hermione," said Lavender, her voice soft, but just as bubbly as usual.

"Hello," I said. "How are you?"

"Grateful to be here," she said matter-of-factly.

"We brought you these," said Ron holding out a bouquet of flowers we'd picked from the garden at the Burrow.

"They're lovely, thank you." Ron set the flowers on the table by her side and she smiled kindly. "Listen...would it be alright if I talk to you for a minute...alone?"

"Yes, of course," I said and moved to leave her and Ron alone. All the feelings of jealousy I'd had over their relationship had melted away completely. If she had things she wanted to say to him, it was none of my business.

"No, I meant with you...Hermione," she said. Ron had moved to sit in the chair, but straightened, attempting to look as though he'd known she was going to say me.

"Oh. Why yes."

"I'll go and see what Neville's up to," he said taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Unabashedly he leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips and departed, my body tingling still with the newness of it all. I smiled warmly at Lavender, who hadn't bristled at Ron's kissing me. In fact, she smiled too.

"Please, sit down," she said, gesturing to the chair as much as she could with her bandaged arm. "I wanted to say...thank you...for saving me from _him."_

"Lavender, please, you don't need to thank me," I began, tears welling up inside me. "Of course, I saved you, how could I not? I just...I'm so thankful you're okay."

"I heard what happened to you at Malfoy Manor...Luna explained...she said Greyback wanted you..." she trailed off, not able to complete the vile thought. I nodded.

"He didn't, though."

"She told me too about...about Bellatrix. What she did to you." I cringed at the name, but tried not to show it. She was dead too and couldn't hurt me anywhere but in a dream. "That was incredibly brave of you...to endure such..."

"I couldn't have done it without Ron," I said. "He saved me...just by being there, by calling for me..." I stopped, unsure whether I should elaborate further on anything to do with Ron and me. I didn't particularly feel like reliving those moments again, either.

"He's very brave too," said Lavender.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Lavender, you had nothing to do with it..."

"No...for how I treated you last year."

"I did not treat you any better," I admitted.

"But you had cause. I shouldn't have dated Ron..."

"Lavender, it's fine...it's in the past.

"But I knew you cared for him..."

"What?"

"Oh, honestly, Hermione...everyone knew you two were mad for each other...It was wrong of me to go after him...for your sakes as much as my own. What kind of idiot wants to be with someone who doesn't feel the same way?"

"He liked you," I said.

"He liked the attention, I think...but...he was always yours." She looked at me with no malice, no jealousy. She only smiled.

"He wasn't mine...at least I had no claim on him then..."

"But you do now."

"Yes. I suppose so."

"I'm glad. Truly," she said.

"So am I."

"So there are no hard feelings between us?"

"Oh heavens, no! Lavender... I can only imagine how difficult your past year at Hogwarts was...with the Carrows...Neville and Ginny told us a lot...a lot I wish I didn't know..."

"It was completely wretched...but I feel I came out of it a different person. I grew up, Hermione. Even in fifth year, with the D.A...I never understood how serious this war was...but when we got on the Hogwarts Express last September...the world I'd always known had gone and I was forced to adapt in ways I never thought I'd have to. My priorities suddenly shifted."

"You're very brave too," I said, touching her gently on her un-bandaged arm.

"But I never thought I was...and I know you probably always thought of me as ditsy..."

"No..." I said, but she cut me off, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yes, you did, Hermione. We shared a dorm for six years, I know you and I didn't always see eye to eye..."

"But what does that matter now? We were teenagers..we are...still, but I know what you mean. I feel I've aged ten years in the last two days."

"Can we be friends, then? True friends."

"Yes," I said and I meant it with all my heart. Would Lavender ever be as close to me as Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, or even Neville? Probably not...but there was no reason why we couldn't be friends.

"You know, if you hadn't been with Ron, I'm not sure he'd have gathered the courage to come after me. You gave him the confidence." I felt mildly guilty for discussing Ron so plainly, picturing the fierce blush he'd wear now were he to hear the conversation.

"I don't think that's true. He would have figured it out. But thank you for being kind to me."

"Lavender?" I turned at the sound of a familiar yet ragged voice. Seamus Finnegan stood a few feet away, holding a heart-shaped balloon on a string and another bouquet.

"Seamus!" she exclaimed, trying to sit up straighter. The look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. This was who she fancied now.

"I'll go and find Ron," I said squeezing Lavender's arm lightly.

"Okay. Thank you, Hermione."

"We'll see you later," I said with a wave. As I walked away I heard the shy and fragile talk of a new relationship behind me and some of the burden of oppressive sadness lifted from my shoulders.


End file.
